Tres Oui: Poised To Flourish Review

By  Eric McKeefer
Music Journalist

Artist: Tres Oui
Album: Poised To Flourish

Tres Oui released their first full length album Poised to Flourish Saturday night, Feb. 17, 2018 at Hotel Vegas following their 2017 debut EP, Singles Going Nowhere. Tres Oui, ascending out of the Austin music scene, presents a fresh sound of bubbly glitter pop reminiscent of easier times and high school dance parties. The four piece is lead by Natheniel Cardaci’s dreamy vocals and Steven Garcia’s sparkling guitar lines that transport the listener to a reflective gymnasium dance party fitted with colored lights, spiked punch, fog machines and one large slowly spinning mirror ball. The drums and bass, performed by Doran Rawlingson and Seth Whaland, provide the driving, indie-fueled rhythm that keeps the party grooving and making up new dance moves.

The first track “Looking For” drops the listener right in to indie pop wonderland. An ear catching melodic walkdown bassline supports the call and response of Cardaci’s vocals and Garcia’s guitar leads. “Red Wine and Dry Ice” follows, showcasing quick poetic pop lyrics over an upbeat and dynamic instrumentation. In “Off The Rails” the synth and keyboards performed by Ian Jenson takes the spotlight, giving the listener a delightful change in focus. “One Track” brings the tone down with introspective lyrics and swelling instrumental breaks that rock the listener into a smooth sway.

One of the pre-released singles that got its own music video, “Seance,” highlights Tres Oui’s eighties pop sound taking it back to The Cure with crispy china symbol smacks in the second half and Morsey-esque “wooahhoohh” that make the listening experience simply delightful. “Alex To The Right” presents another side of Tres Oui’s sound with a pleasant amount of space left open. Each instrument plays rich melodies around a simple shaker, tambo, kick and delayed snare, while Cardaci’s lyrics take the listener down a dark corridor of the imagination with a mournful but sweet melody lighting the way. Reminiscent of the epic end to Singles Going Nowhere, the concluding track “Wash Away” is full and sorrowful. Tres Oui again expands their sound with Daniel Fears on trombone and Matt Krolick on trumpet giving this album an appropriate, triumphant finale.

Overall, Poised To Flourish is 10 tracks that move its listeners through moods of possessive dance and self-reflection. Poised to Flourish was recorded at Estuary Recordings in Austin and engineered by Michael Landon. This album is definitely a fun and worthwhile listen, beginning to end.